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Goat's milk has a very specific flavor. Many would call it tart, and there are countless simple goat cheeses that play up this personality trait more than anything else. True goat cheese lovers, however, understand that goat's milk can carry with it a symphony of characteristics ranging from grassy to meaty to an especially subtle sweetness that rewards those attentive to its nuanced flavor.

It's these other traits that we're focusing on today. Below you'll find three goat cheeses that stand apart from the crowd—some with swagger; others with more sensitivity. While these cheeses may provide a hint of that tart, goaty profile, they are more subtle and complex than your everyday varieties of chèvre. Folks who have historically thumbed their noses at goat cheese may very well find these the perfect introduction to a whole new world of dairy.

Chèvre de Argental, France

Tender and demure, Chèvre de Argental prefers to keep her goat's milk roots under wraps until she's gotten to know you better. This cheese likes to leave a simple first impression of silky flexibility, sharing tidbits of grass and sea breeze like you're talking a stroll along the coast. You may begin to believe that she's a cow's milk girl, with a rich texture that leaves you dreaming of fatty, fresh-churned butter. But pay attention to the followup: Chèvre de Argental's true nature shines through, playful, salty, and charming as all get out. As she kisses your cheek goodbye, you'll be pleased to discover a meat roundness that lingers like a light peck of terra-cotta lipstick on your skin, sweet and savory all at the same time. I do love a girl that keeps me guessing.

Vare, Spain

This firm, chalky cheese is a stout beauty queen who likes to toss out a little sugar with her sass. Nutty and complex with just a hint of capriciousness, Vare is barnyardy without a ton a funk, rolling across your tongue with a lovely hit of meatiness that reminded me of fat, tender noodles left to simmer in a pot of very rich chicken soup. If you listen closely to Vare's baritone song, you'll find the ending is both sweet and salty, pairing nicely with its gently goaty personality. Perfect on its own, or a superb treat when shredded over a green salad with peanuts and sautéed asparagus.

Bûcheron, France

Meat. Beef ribs, pork chops, chicken pot pie; these are all the things I dreamed of upon my first bite of Bûcheron. This umami bomb of a cheese is exceedingly meaty, with a hint of vegetal notes hidden within its depths. Firm and pasty, the cheese is enveloped by an exquisitely salty cream line, with a brininess that threatens to topple salt-lovers from their chairs in a fit of sheer bliss. You'll find a good dose of tart goatiness here, but not in the way you're accustomed to tasting it; with so much full-bodied flavor, you'll have a hard time singling out Bûcheron's capricious mids and highs, instead drifting off on a wave of deep, savory contentment.

After leaving the tech world nearly a decade ago, Stephanie made a career jump to her lifetime love, writing. She currently writes for the Huffington Post, KQED's Bay Area Bites, NPR, and other select media outlets. Her first cookbook, Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese, is due out in fall 2013 on Little, Brown with coauthor Garrett McCord.
Being a recovering techy leaves an indelible mark, and everything Stephanie does is infused with her deep fascination with digital technology. She has been blogging since 1999, before blog engines even existed and a great readership consisted of a handful of friends who occasionally thought to check out your site. In 2005 she started her first food blog, which she repurposed in 2007 to become The Culinary Life.
Stephanie can be called many things: food writer, essayist, professional recipe developer, cookbook author, social media consultant, videographer, documentary maker, website developer, archivist of life. Despite all of these titles, she most commonly responds to Steph.

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